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Biomedical subjects

C L Huffine

Publications and source records attributed to C L Huffine.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Assessing vulnerability to suicide.

Three hundred members of the American Association of Suicidology (30% of those who apparently received the questionnaire) participated in a survey in which case histories of two men who had committed suicide and two who had not were presented. Respondents assessed the vulnerability to suicide of each man, recorded their levels of confidence in their assessments, and provided information about themselves. The two men who killed themselves were rated as less vulnerable to suicide than the other two men, and as less vulnerable than one would expect by chance. Respondent characteristics that predicted to accuracy in assessing vulnerability were gender and level of involvement in research. The findings are discussed in terms of the limitations of theoretical models as well as characteristics of the respondents and nature of the study design.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Psychoactive drugs, alcohol, and stress and coping processes in older adults.

Data are presented on a) the relationship between psychoactive substance use and personal characteristics, b) the relationship between psychoactive substance use and appraisal of and coping with stressful situations, and c) the use of psychoactive substances specifically to cope with stress among older people. Data were provided by 141 65-to-74-year-old retired Caucasians who were assessed repeatedly over 6 months. Compared to national samples, subjects were relatively heavy users of alcohol and average users of psychoactive drugs. Use of alcohol increased with income, and drug use was associated with several psychosocial characteristics as well as with psychological and somatic health. Psychoactive substance use did not relate to the ways subjects appraised and coped with stressful encounters. Further, only a small number of subjects used drugs or alcohol specifically to help them cope in these encounters. The findings about psychoactive drug users are compared with other findings about misusers of drugs, and the risks associated with each type of drug use are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1982

Assessing comprehension in a survey of public reactions to complex issues.

This paper reports results of research to develop household interview procedures for obtaining reasonably informed public judgements about ethical issues in biomedical research. We describe (1) an interviewing strategy designed to enhance comprehension among survey respondents, and (2) a composite comprehension index based on three types of information from the interview. Using data from a cross-section sample, we identify subgroups that differ significantly with respect to scores on the comprehension index, and we then describe the observed levels of comprehension in terms of the operations defining the index. The results demonstrate both the feasibility and limits of obtaining informed rather than naive judgements about complex issues from lay respondents.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1979

Madness and work: short- and long-term effects of mental illness on occupational careers.

This study assesses the impact of mental illness on occupational careers. Thirty-six married men who first entered mental hospitals in the 1950s were followed up in 1972 and eighteen men who were first hospitalized in 1973-74 were interviewed. Their histories reveal the importance of the development of competence in the work role prior to the onset of mental illness. Those who were able to develop competence were likely to retain their jobs through the initial episode of illness and to remain occupationally stable in the ensuing years even in the face of persistent symptomatology. The data are interpreted as evidence that the label, "mental patient," does not constitute a master status and in and of itself does not significantly affect occupational careers.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Correlates of patient attendance in an inner-city mental health clinic.

Of 140 patients seen at a psychiatric clinic serving a predominantly black, low-income population, 65% attended for four or more visits. Patients over age 30 and those with a diagnosis of psychosis or personality disorder remained in therapy for significantly longer periods than the rest of the group. Failure to prescribe medication was associated with early dropout, but this effect seemed to be attenuated with duration of therapy. The race of the patients and therapists did not seem to influence continuation in treatment, but such an influence may have been masked by differences in the therapists' experience.

Black or African American↗